Some months ago, I completed a 5-day vlog series (for my Whatsapp status audience) underscoring women’s journey to reclaiming bodily integrity; a conversation that is becoming increasingly crucial in feminine and feminist circles. Two days before I started, I had commented on my experience reading The Vagina Monologue and how that narrative disrupts the normative thought processes and attitudes that underpin conversations about the woman’s body. Shortly after my comment, a friend had sent me a message on how only after decades of being sexually abused (a term I think grossly underrepresents the grievousness of the breach of bodily autonomy and integrity women are subjected to and the multiple burdens imposed on them as survivors) has she found…
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WHAT ABOUT BOYS?!!!
SAVE THE BOY-CHILD! HE IS BECOMING AN ENDANGERED GENDER! Many individuals claim that we have become so occupied with empowering the female child that men are becoming the endangered gender. True or otherwise, I have my reservations: I strongly believe it is a machination to get us to water down our efforts at seeking female empowerment. Oftentimes though, I feel hit by these unfounded accusations. I see them as a ploy to sway the narrative in favour of the boy-child, even though there is virtually no distinction between both children when they are forming. Why not let a child define who they will become, all by themselves? Why deny them…
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD 2019 LOADING 70 PERCENT
Last year, we took a bold step forward in a bid to crushing societal stereotypic thinking toward the girl-child, we ignited the fire that burns brightly in the heart of the girl-child and we helped guide her heart on setting her foot on the track of her own choosing. And as the annual International Day of the Girl Child draws near, we are here again, super-geared to help the girl-child break out of the cages of ready-made expectations in order for her to redesign her own dreams with the numerous blocks that pile up around her. We cannot fold our arms while the society continues to tag our girls with…
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WHAT SKILLS ARE WORTH MONETIZING?
Recently, I realized that some people who have been participants of some programs charging people as much as ₦25,000 or sometimes more when they ask them to help edit their application letters. I wonder why. The funniest thing is that their editing those applications doesn’t guarantee the person interested a spot in the program, conference or event. Once, I tried to talk to someone who I suspected was involved in this and the person said it was a need being met so it needed to be paid for. When the person said that, it reminded me of the time when I wanted to make enquiries about a Postgraduate Program. I…
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WILLIAM AND RITA
PREPARING MEN FOR EMPOWERED WOMEN William and Rita have been married for three years. William has been comfortable with being the breadwinner while Rita stays home and does the chores. Rita has always wanted to further her studies and join the workforce. After the birth and the weaning of their second baby boy, she asked for William’s permission to return to school. He blatantly refused noting that she has no need for more education. He was able to provide everything they needed as a family since he was the man – the head of the house. As the days went by, William started to become irritated and restless. He would…
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Assumptions and Facts; Are men really smarter than women?
It is widely known that certain genders are more likely to find themselves employed in certain jobs- for example, a woman is more likely to be a teacher or nurse and men are more likely to be a Civil Engineer. This is generally believed to be as a result of differences in intelligence levels between the genders with men generally seen and considered as smarter than women. While the reflection of this dichotomy is clearly evident in the workplace and backed by hard employment data, it is imperative to also ponder if the former assertion is truly an effect of the latter- is the difference in intelligence among the sexes…
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THE WIFE MATERIAL TEST
Daniella’s lower lip twitched as they pulled up at Moses’ family house – a beautiful maroon bungalow. After two years of dating, Moses was finally ready to introduce her to his mother before taking their relationship a step further. She was scared and nervous at the same time. “Would she like me?” she asked Moses for the umpteenth time. “Of course,” Moses said, turning off the ignition and looking at her. She made a face at him and rolled her eyes. “I’m serious. Anyone would love you babe,” he said, leaning in and kissing her cheek. She forced a smile as she pushed open the car door. She wasn’t fully…
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STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS) IS NOT MEANT FOR GIRLS.
“Please sir, I would like to create a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) awareness program for girls. It is an initiative to introduce girls from the junior secondary school to the wonders and possibilities of science, math, technology and engineering …,” the principal read aloud, his eyes widening. Then he glanced up from his letter, pulled off his thin glasses, placed it on the table as he stared at the younger man standing in front of him. “That is my problem with you corpers. You come here thinking you can turn everyone’s head with white people’s nonsense then you go home disappointed when nothing really changed. This is…
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PAN AFRICAN WOMEN’S DAY -JULY 31ST
African Union has made 31st of July to commemorate the Pan African Women’s Day. We know the essence you live and we celebrate the unique woman in you. To all African women who are keeping the African spirit alive; to all women with the spirit of Pan-Africanism; we wish you all a hearty happy Africa Women’s Day. Go mama Africa; Go the mother of pearls; Go and make Africa even better. We really appreciate your effort towards the shaping of the future of the African continent and your commitment towards the advancement of Africa. Keep breaking glass ceilings, breaking through concrete walls, striding on sticky floors and escaping career…
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WHEN THE NORMAL BECOMES ABNORMAL ALL IN THE NAME OF PATRIARCHY
One fine Tuesday morning in January, Dennis walked into his class for early morning lectures. Since he was late, he took one of the vacant seats in the last row, just beside a girl in his class. As the lectures commenced, he scribbled fast and paid rapt attention hanging on to every word the lecturers spoke. After classes, his stomach growled and rumbled so loudly that he picked up his bag, sprang up from his seat and started towards the door a little faster than he should have. Suddenly, all the students started towards the door as well. It was as though someone had rung a bell because they…
